A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION ANNUAL UPDATE AND EVALUATION REPORT, ATTACHED HERETO AS EXHIBIT A, AND RE-CREATING AN AD HOC, ADVISORY PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION COMMITTEE TO SERVE AS A PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION ("PPI") COMMITTEE, IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS FOR CREDIT UNDER THE COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM, TO IMPLEMENT, MONITOR, AND EVALUATE THE PPI, AND PRESCRIBING THE PURPOSE, DUTIES, APPOINTMENTS, AND TERMS OF THE COMMITTEE'S MEMBERS WHICH SHALL COMMENCE ON JANUARY 1, 2020 AND EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31, 2020.

The City of Miami Beach Administration recommends that the City Commission accept the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Program for Public Information (PPI) Annual Evaluation Update and Evaluation Report prepared for Community Rating System (CRS) and to reconvene the annual ad hoc committee starting on January 1^st of 2020 and ending on December 31^st of 2020.  The committee’s continuous participation and work is required to monitor the implementation of flood awareness projects, which provide valuable activity points for the CRS program.

This program helps the city reduce flood risk and earn flood insurance discounts for residents and businesses. This year, the committee focused on implementing the Program for Public Information, which focuses on flood risk reduction messaging projects and evaluating progress toward the established outcomes. The original plan was approved on March 1, 2017 via Resolution No. 2017-29771. On November 5, 2019, the committee approved the Annual Update and Evaluation Report to be transmitted to City Commission, as required by the Community Rating System (CRS).

The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allowing communities to earn flood insurance discounts.  Under FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), cities earn points for conducting activities promoting flood insurance and reducing flood risk.   The CRS rating scores range from 1 to 10 (1 being the highest and 10 the lowest). Miami Beach pursued an aggressive goal to improve its CRS ranking from a Class 6 to a Class 5 and was officially awarded the new score in May of 2019. As a result, many new policies and renewals after May 1, 2019 can save 5% more on flood insurance premiums in comparison with last year. With this score improvement, the City receives a 25% discount, that totals $8.4 million in savings annually.  This helps offset increasing federal rates.

The mission of the National Flood Insurance Program Program for Public Information is to create and monitor a Program for Public Information (PPI), referred to as the Program for Public Information Plan with the purpose of reducing flood risk and ultimately reducing the cost of flood insurance.

The committee meets twice a year to address CRS requirements as well as monitoring and evaluating the plan.   The committee’s composition requires representation from the Marketing and Communications Office, the City’s Floodplain Office, real estate, banking, and insurance. The committee was previously created by the City Commission through Resolution No. 2017-30104 on November 29, 2017. The recommended Program for Public Information Committee members for 2020 are:

The National Flood Insurance Program Public Information Plan Update and Annual Evaluation Report highlights the progress made toward desired outcomes established on the plan adopted on March 1, 2017 via Resolution No. 2017-29771. It provides data and details regarding project implementation status and recommendations for future improvements.

The Annual Evaluation Report, Attachment 1, includes:

·         A review of projects conducted in 2019;

·         Progress towards the desired outcomes; and

·         Recommendations for improvement.

The administration recommends the City Commission accept the National Flood Insurance Program for Public Information Committee Annual Evaluation Update and Report and reconvene the annual ad hoc Program for Public Information Committee for 2020 to continue reducing flood risk through awareness communications and to achieve CRS points, thereby earning flood insurance premium discounts for residents and businesses.